THIS THANKSGIVING

What is this occasion that we name Thanksgiving,

A time and place in the past where travelers of Fall

Landed in a world unknown to them, a place to learn.

These people, known as Pilgrims, lived a lifetime ago,

Settled in a land known as the New World.

Plymouth Rock, ships landed along the unexplored shore,

Through hardship and bitter Winter cold, these men and women

Persevered; they accepted the challenge, they survived.

Learning as they did of a people different from they were,

Came together to learn and understand one another.

Working as one, sharing what was grown and hunted,

They lived each day; they learned of each other.

This Thanksgiving we slow down, pause for the moment,

Give thanks for what we have, for our health, for friends,

For those who love us and the ones we love.

                 Keith Garrett